Forsyth County Schools welcomed 302 new teachers during the system's annual New Educator Orientation (NEO) on July 30 at West Forsyth High School. NEO is the new educators' first introduction to the Forsyth County school system and provides them an overview of the system as well as the chance to meet and mingle with more than 100 area vendors.
Of the new educators, 45 come from different states including Florida, Tennessee, New York and Colorado. Three of the 302 hail from Chile, New Zealand and Columbia and 139 come from other Georgia school systems.
The new teachers were welcomed to the system by Board of Education Chairwoman Nancy Roche, Associate Superintendent Mary Harwell and James McCoy, president of the Cumming-Forsyth County Chamber of Commerce. Roche provided a few words of inspiration, encouraging the new educators to provide "torches of hope, imagination, efficacy, respect and connectedness" to their students.
"As we move into the unknown and unimagined territory of the new millennium, we will all need torches, in the figurative sense, to help us find our way and to light the way for our students as well," said Roche.
Harwell gave the new teachers an overview of the beliefs and goals of FCS and the Board of Education.
"As new members of our Forsyth County Schools family, you play a crucial role in our work," Harwell told the new educators. "In Forsyth we are a team - the Board, students, staff, parents and community.
We are committed to excellence and becoming the most effective school district in the nation."
McCoy welcomed the educators to Forsyth County. The new educators also received words of inspiration from this year's FCS Teacher of the Year, Suzy Besson-Martilotta, first grade teacher at Chattahoochee Elementary.
Additionally, the new educators participated in a variety of orientation sessions based on their level of teaching experience and grade levels taught. These sessions provided the new teachers an overview of FCS policies and procedures, as well as other useful information.
Throughout the day, the new teachers also had several opportunities to visit the NEO Avenue of Vendors, featuring more than 100 Forsyth County area business, agencies and organizations. The Avenue of Vendors is provided each year to give the new teachers an opportunity to learn more about their new community and the services available to them.
This year's NEO Gold Sponsors were Evan Profeta State Farm Insurance, Georgia Federal Credit Union, John Heath RE/MAX 400 North and Northside Hospital-Forsyth. These vendors were presented with special recognition in honor of their continuing dedication to FCS.
Labels: Forsyth County Schools, Georgia, new educator orientation, new teachers
# posted by
Brian Vanderhoff @ 7:57 AM
